Watching the debate, I couldn't help but notice there were many areas both sides disagreed on, but there was one consensus Scottish voters should take with them to the polls: if we remain in the United Kingdom we can - and will - vote for more powers for the Scottish people. That is the take home here. Staying in the United Kingdom does not need to mean a weaker voice for Scotland and less decision making devolved to Scotland.

"[we] would rather die than leave the Labour Party." - Emily Thornberry.

I think Alistair Darling made the case for a strong Scotland within a strong United Kingdom impeccably tonight.

As somebody who was a Scottish Chancellor led by a Scottish Prime Minister, he knows more than anyone that Scotland can't just be equals within the United Kingdom - we can be leaders. The Scottish people should not walk away from the ability to lead within one of the world's biggest economic powers and global players, we should embrace it.

"[we] would rather die than leave the Labour Party." - Emily Thornberry.

There has been a considerable amount of confusion and speculation when it comes to the economic details that an independent Scotland would face. In referendum debates, Mr. Salmond told the Scottish people that if they voted to leave, that they could keep the pound sterling as a currency. I understand completely why he would say such a thing; it gives stability in the great indecisiveness of a referendum. It suggests that those who want to leave would always have a peace of mind, an anchor in the veil to a stability they need.

However, currency unions between sovereign states are fraught with difficulty. They require extraordinary commitment, and a genuine desire to see closer union between the peoples involved. There have been no solid options presented that make this possible. There are a number of reasons why I do not believe this option can be done.

First, the Scottish Government is still leaving the option open of moving to a different currency option in the longer term. Successful currency unions are based on the near universal belief that they are irreversible. If an independent Scotland wants to transition to the Euro, that is their decision. But the constant ebb and flow of transition would make a currency union to liquidic for any true stability.

Second, there is the problem of asymmetry. The continuing UK would be at risk of providing taxpayer support to the Scottish financial sector and sovereign. An independent Scottish state would not face the same risk as it is inconceivable that a small economy could bail-out an economy nearly ten times its size. This asymmetry could only cause continuing UK problems unless Scotland is prepared to cede substantially more sovereignty on monetary and fiscal matters than any advocates of independence are currently contemplating. There is no evidence that adequate proposals or policy changes to enable the formation of a currency union could be devised, agreed and implemented by both governments in the foreseeable future.

Therefore, I do not believe that allowing an independent Scotland to use the pound would be a workable solution. There is no legal reason why the rest of the UK should share the pound with a country who wants to be independent. It isn’t an asset to be divided up like a divorce. If the Scottish people vote for independence, that means independence. If it walks away from the UK, it walks away from the pound.

The SNP talk a big game on independence and on Scotland choosing its own path, yet their ideal plan would be to surrender some vital fiscal and economic levers to London without any say, stake or voice.

It's extremely telling that even the SNP cannot stomach full independence and are feeling the need to pick and choose at the detriment of Scotland's voice: they know leaving the pound would be disastrous for Scotland, so opt to surrender Scotland's voice completely to the whims of London.

"[we] would rather die than leave the Labour Party." - Emily Thornberry.

Whilst the vast majority of the SNP's plans are unworkable and frankly ludicrous we must not lose sight of the fact that Scotland and the UK mutually benefit from our centuries' long partnership. Scotland enjoys strong devolutionary rights that the Conservative Party have pledged to further strengthen in conjunction with the vast majority of other parties active in Westminster politics and it benefits from being a member of a G8 economy that opens up unprecedented economic opportunities for Scottish businesses. Scotland is far better off inside the United Kingdom as a vehicle for further opportunities and successes for both the Scottish people and the Scottish economy.

In the recent past the press were agog with the idea that the Labour Party wanted an independent campaign to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom, separate from the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats, but I think that the strength of feeling that that illicited from Scottish Labour and from many in Westminster shows just how valuable Scotland is to the union. The United Kingdom is stronger together, it will be more successful together, and it works best together, that is why all political parties outside of the SNP have come together to make the positive case for Scotland to remain a part of the United Kingdom. The Scottish people will be best served by continuing to be a part of one of the World's foremost economies with strong growth and ever-increasing private sector investment both domestically and from abroad.

Let's be real for a moment, the SNP's plan for an independent Scotland does not work in the slightest. If the last few years have taught us anything it is that currency unions between independent nations without a shared fiscal policy leads to massive complications if the economy ever takes a downturn, just look at Greece, Spain, and Portugal as examples. A currency union could never work between Scotland and the UK, the only way to ensure Scotland retains the pound is to vote to ensure that Scotland remains a part of the United Kingdom.

Watching the debates and touring Scotland with politicians of all allegiances and from all corners of the United Kingdom it is patently clear to me that Scotland is a valued and integral part of the United Kingdom. Our family of nations is a partnership of equals built upon firm foundations of common history that reach back far further than anyone living could possibly begin to remember. The foundations have built up strong links that it would be unthinkable for us to break down. Our economies are intertwined, we share the same currency, it would be an act of political, social, and economic self harm for all concerned for us to break the United Kingdom apart.

The SNP have been making the case that independence is the only way to ensure that Scotland is never governed by the Tories again, not only is such a claim disingenuous and undemocratic it is also dangerous and frankly counter-productive to the discourse of this debate. This isn't a general, local, or Holyrood election, there won't be a second bite of the cherry, and this isn't a chance to give the Tories - or even Westminster as a whole - a bloody nose and a bruised ego. If Scotland votes for independence then there is no going back, that is the decision and we will all be left with it forever. Don't vote for independence because you dislike the Tories, or Labour, or the Liberal Democrats, there are no reruns and there are no second chances.

Scotland is stronger in the United Kingdom, and the United Kingdom is stronger with Scotland apart of it. There is so much to be gained with our country's continued unity. Together, our economy is stronger, businesses have access to a greater number of consumers, and our financial markets are more sound. Together we are force to be reckoned with on the world stage, a permanent member on the United Nation's Security Council and a leading member of NATO. Our Union ensures geopolitical relevance, added diplomatic weight and leverage, and safeguards our status as an economic powerhouse and center of finance and innovation. The future is bright for our country, for all four nations within it, because our United Kingdom is stronger together.

When Election Day comes, voters in Scotland won't only be determine the future of our Union, they will also be determining the future of our economy for Britons across the country. On one hand, you can choose a future where the pound is devalued and can't be used as the Scottish currency, where our financial markets and public services have less stability, and where businesses are cut off from massive consumer markets. Or you can vote to keep economic ties between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom free from tariffs and regulatory burden, to ensure stability of our collective finances, and most importantly, to keep the pound as Scotland's currency. The financial security for every Briton, for our children and for our grandchildren, is unquestionably better protected when our Union is preserved. Scotland remaining in the United Kingdom is good for Scottish business, and it's good for the economic future of every Briton who calls our great country home.

I think it is rather premature for the Government to rule out a currency union in the absolute. While I fully and totally understand that in such a hypothetical situation...a highly undesirable hypothetical, I might add...the Government should bear in mind that an Independent Scotland would mean the loss of their majority. If Scotland leaves, the Government won't have the votes in the Commons to tell them what they can and cannot do. Moreover, the Chancellor's declaration is an irresponsible and desperate move that is predicated on not even being willing to work through a transitional situation. Frankly, the Chancellor's remarks reek of an arrogant government that decided to sleepwalk into a referendum not realizing that people could vote more than one way init. Well, the Chancellor has woken up now and he's panicking.

I want to be clear that any insinuation that Scotland's path might not be the utter doom that is coming from Number 10 and Number 11 is not to say that whatever comes next will be a bed of roses if Scotland votes for Independence. Given three centuries and a bit of integration, I think it is fair to say that the costs of leaving would not be worth the resulting complications and risks. So I would certainly encourage the people of Scotland not to depart from the Union but rather to make a better deal within it. The Conservative Party committed to firm, permanent, constitutional devolution to Scotland and we remain committed to doing so, and our commitments do not involve giant leaps into the unknown for millions of people.

The Conservatives have repeatedly politicised the union - criticising the government on tabloid gossip, criticising the government for accepting a currency union, criticising the government for not accepting one, criticising the government for a referendum they didn't call but that they approved. The list is endless.

It's a heartbreaking conclusion I'm reaching but as this campaign goes on a party of me is starting to believe the Better Together campaign needs to strongly consider whether the English flank of the Conservative Party should be part of the campaign and should be allowed to attend Better Together events. They are causing more damage to the campaign than benefit.

"[we] would rather die than leave the Labour Party." - Emily Thornberry.

The SNP need to stop deflecting every inconvenient truth with denial and anger. The Better Together campaign is not committed to project fear - it's committed to project honesty. Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom have a deep cultural bond that will remain even should Scotland leave the United Kingdom, but that does not deflect from the fact that to do so would leave Scotland poorer and with less power and influence to assert its own interests both within and outside of the British Isles.

"[we] would rather die than leave the Labour Party." - Emily Thornberry.

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